赶牛车的人
（唐纳·豪尔/作，张文武/译）
十月，
他清点着从黄土中挖出的土豆，
清点出种子，清点出
要放在地窖中的部分，
然后把剩下的装进袋子，放在牛车上。
他把四月份剪下的羊毛包起来，还有
蜂房中的蜜，亚麻布，
鞣制好的鹿皮，
一桶醋——
在炉火上手工箍制的桶。
他在牛头旁走着，十天后，
到了朴茨茅斯集市，卖掉土豆，
再卖掉装土豆的袋子，
亚麻籽，桦木条做成的扫帚，槭糖，
鹅毛，纱线。
牛车空了以后，他卖掉了牛车。
牛车卖掉之后，他卖掉了牛，
牛绳，牛轭，然后走回家。
他的口袋沉甸甸的，装着
用于买盐和交租的一年的收成。
在寒冷的十一月，他坐在家里的炉火边
为牛棚中那来年的牛
编制新牛绳，
雕牛轭，然后锯木板
再做一辆牛车。
Ox Cart
Man
by Donald Hall
In October of the year,
he counts potatoes dug from the brown field,
counting the seed, counting
the cellar's portion out,
and bags the rest on the cart's floor.
He packs wool sheared in April, honey
in combs, linen, leather
tanned from deerhide,
and vinegar in a barrel
hooped by hand at the forge's fire.
He walks by his ox's head, ten days
to Portsmouth Market, and sells potatoes,
and the bag that carried potatoes,
flaxseed, birch brooms, maple sugar, goose
feathers, yarn.
When the cart is empty he sells the
cart.
When the cart is sold he sells the ox,
harness and yoke, and walks
home, his pockets heavy
with the year's coin for salt and taxes,
and at home by fire's light in November
cold
stitches new harness
for next year's ox in the barn,
and carves the yoke, and saws planks
building the cart again.
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